\u00a0Look! Up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s our Zscaler IT Heroes\u2014a series of colorful illustrated stories celebrating our customers as the \u201cheroes\u201d of their organizations\u2019 digital transformation. An initiative of our Customer Advocacy program, these comic strip-style illustrations tell a story about each customer\u2019s zero trust security journey in just three frames. Shared via Zscaler\u2019s social media channels, each comic links to its respective case study that captures the organization\u2019s evolution to the cloud, powered by Zscaler.<\/p>\n

Written case studies are a standard element of many marketing programs, but I saw an opportunity to try something new by creating a uniquely rewarding experience for our customers.<\/p>\n

We wanted to breathe life into our existing case studies with a fun and unique way to honor our customers, and offer their peers potential solutions, while showcasing their successes. These comics bring the customers\u2019 voices to life, giving them the much deserved spotlight and demonstrating one of our core company values: customer obsession.<\/p>\n

In addition to the thrill of seeing their illustrative narratives spread like wildfire across social media, each customer receives a digital file of their comic strip and physical framed version for their desks. This reinvents the traditional lucite desk award that people typically receive with a more meaningful recognition. Who could resist being the star in their own comic? Talk about a great conversation starter with your cube mate! Even better, recipients have told me that their kids are beyond impressed with the award\u2014and we all know kids are the biggest critics of all.<\/p>\n

“To make customer advocacy as effective as possible, we need a multi-pronged approach, from detailed success stories and engaging videos, to eye-catching creative campaigns like Zscaler\u2019s IT Heroes series,\u201d my manager Pavel Radda, VP, Global Communications, shared with me. \u201cThese vividly illustrated stories weave together the threads of imagination and zero trust innovation, capturing the essence of each customers\u2019 secure digital transformation journey.”
\nA Journey Well Traveled <\/p>\n

Like many new ideas, the IT Heroes journey had many stops and starts from inception to finished product. It was such a unique concept, I had to make sure everyone was inspired enough by the vision to take a leap of faith and believe it would succeed. I thought through the plan and discussed it with various internal stakeholders to gauge their reaction\u2013 a litmus test, if you will. I also connected with our customer champions to get their perspectives on the award. Customers not only loved the comic strip idea, many shared that they would be honored to be recognized in this way. <\/p>\n

Taking the time to involve the right people and bring in the right subject matter experts who made tweaks along the way made the final product so much better. It changed the trajectory and outcome entirely. By partnering with my brilliant peers at Zscaler, we created something really special.
\nThe Gift That Keeps On Giving <\/p>\n

Once the initial IT Heroes program launched, the team and I were pleasantly surprised by the response. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe IT Hero comics are some of the most creative pieces of social content we produce, easily in the top three for total engagement over the past six months,\u201d said Jeff Anaya, Sr. Social Media Manager, Zscaler. \u201cIt’s great, it’s interesting, and it works.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch an awesome project! I actually had someone randomly reach out on LinkedIn (before I shared it) saying how cool it is,\u201d said Kristi Myllenbeck, Copywriter, Zscaler.<\/p>\n

Customers who were featured in the IT Heroes series not only felt the love, but shared it back: <\/p>\n

\t\u201cThanks for this. We are indeed honored to have been selected as a recipient of this new award and to be recognised as a leading customer advocate.\u201d \u2013 John Armenakas, Director, Partner Development &amp; Success, Colt Technology Services
\n\t\u201cIt has been great to work with you and the team and it is an honor to receive the award.\u201d \u2013 Peeyush Patel, CISO, Careem
\n\t\u201cWhat a nice surprise! I have seen the post and the attention it already got. Thanks again.\u201d \u2013 Armin Auth, Head of Enterprise Architecture, Hydro<\/p>\n

From Comic Strip to Comic Series <\/p>\n

One year and 12 comics later, the team is taking it up a notch by launching the new \u201cZ Cloud Collective,\u201d a digital comic book that encompasses all the customer IT Heroes triumphs to date, with many more to come. This project is the first of its kind on Zscaler.com, and I hope it opens the door for many more interactive elements across the web in the future.
\nCalling All IT Heroes<\/p>\n

We are looking forward to recognizing so many more customer advocates in the future. If you’ve harnessed the power of the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform to accelerate your organization\u2019s zero trust journey, or you know someone else who has, submit your nomination today!\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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